When Two Species Collide
by Deathslash
Summary: The Shinigami and Human worlds have been separated for millennia. But is it, in fact, possible for the two to races to coexist? Nobody knows, but two dissatisfied Death Gods are prepared to risk it all attempting to prove this intriguing hypothesis...
1. Is This Living?

Ryuk was bored.

Sitting cross-legged atop a stone precipice, he gazed out at the barren, dreary Shinigami realm; he could see Gukku, the horned and hairy Shinigami, dealing out bones and sticks. Apparently this was some kind of new game he'd come up with to entertain himself, and was currently sitting with Midora. The unusual-looking female Shinigami let out a long high-pitched laugh as Gukku finished telling one of his supposedly riveting jokes. Ryuk didn't wish to join them. Although he normally would have done, just to pass some time, he was feeling so lethargic at the moment. Attempting to escape into sleep would prove pointless, since everywhere you went around here, there was always some inane, mundane activity going on that was bound to rouse you.

_Hell. This place really has turned to crap…_

In fact, it hadn't always been this way. Ryuk could remember that many, many years ago, he and his fellow Shinigami had been happier. With so few humans in the world below at that era, the Shinigami had had to carefully monitor how many they killed, for if they ran out of people, then they, too would eventually crumble to dust. This was hardly ecstasy, and the Realm was as dry and empty as it was today but…there was a purpose in their lives. Ryuk could not remember much further back than that time, and why would he? There were no events that occurred worth making a mental note of. He assumed that he had been created by the Shinigami King, whom everyone seemed to remember, but theoretically, there could be any number of ways that a Shinigami could be created. Asking about it seemed like a taboo subject.

A lot of the time, Ryuk wished that he had never descended to the human world at all. Witnessing true meaning to life…it had been the only worthwhile thing he'd ever done. Which, it had to be said, was more than most of the creatures around here had accomplished. But now his home seemed all the more worthless.

Ryuk looked at Midora, still giggling away to herself, her large belly shaking. Ryuk liked Midora, as much as a Shinigami was generally permitted. She was the only person who he could ever have proper conversations with about the human world, which was pretty much all that interested him. Midora had experience of her own as far as dropping notebooks went, but in truth, she didn't seem to be altogether as enamoured with humankind as Ryuk, and so their adventures in the human world had become a thing of the past. He still had the spare notebook, so could easily try to find some more entertainment in the human world…but it was only just a year after he had returned, boring every Shinigami senseless with every detail. Word had quickly spread, and it was rumoured that the Shinigami King was not pleased with Ryuk. Not that he cared, but Ryuk couldn't risk going to the human world again so quickly, for fear that it may enrage the king so much that he'd get the death penalty. So he had to wait here for the time being, but he wasn't planning on waiting much longer. All he had to do was mentally relive the highlights of the past seven years and he'd be able to survive this hell.

It was times like this that Ryuk wished Rem were still alive, not to mention the humans who had entertained him. Rem and Ryuk may have had precious little in common, but there was something in Rem that Ryuk had recognised in himself: a desire to find a role in life. Only upon his return to the Realm during the time of Light Yagami's confinement did Ryuk learn of what had happened between Rem and Gelus: Misa and Rem had kept it to themselves, and Light had, to Ryuk's knowledge, never asked either how Misa had gotten her notebook. It had been irrelevant to him. Yeah…Rem was alright. Sometimes he wondered whether Rem really had cared about Misa Amane as much as she made out, or whether Rem had acted simply as a friend to Gelus, a Shinigami Ryuk hadn't known at all. Perhaps Rem hadn't even wanted to live anymore, and rather than wait until her lifespan ran out naturally, or suffer agony after breaking the rules, had chosen a less tragic option....Ryuk hadn't been present when Rem died, but easily deduced what had happened. That was a cruel trick even for Light.

"What's up, Ryuk?" a nasally, drawling voice sounded behind him. Ryuk hadn't noticed Sidoh standing behind him; he'd clearly wandered up the jagged path through the cave to get here.

Ryuk turned to look at Sidoh and as ever, his bandaged face looked forlorn and stupid at the same time. However, it seemed slightly more lively than usual, though Ryuk paid no attention to that. Sidoh had all but forgotten his own tour to the human world, having not visited voluntarily; he'd chosen to simply let all memories drift away. Well, at least that was the assumption that Ryuk made. Nonetheless, whenever Ryuk attempted to coerce Sidoh into reminiscing about their past, all he had to do would be to whisper "Mello" and he swore that Sidoh would flinch. Right now, he couldn't be bothered to talk with Sidoh, and merely continued to stare across the vast plains and not respond.

Sidoh wasn't quite dense enough not to take the hint usually, but this time, unbeknownst to Ryuk at the moment, was under special circumstances. Sidoh shifted nervously, stepping on a couple of skulls. He lost his balance and slipped over, having to extend his insect-like fingers to support himself. Ryuk's usual friendly demeanour returned to him, as he screeched with laughter. Seeing Sidoh shuffling to his feet in a flustered manner made Ryuk notice the anxiety that seemed to be stemming from him.

"Er…Sidoh was there something you wanted? You haven't done something stupid again, have you?" Ryuk's red and yellow eyes gleamed, as if he hoped that that was precisely the case.

"Nu asked me to come and get you. Don't ask me why." Sidoh walked to the edge of the precipice where Ryuk sat, and opened his wings. He seemed a little put out.

"Why?" Ryuk wasn't laughing anymore. His voice was deadly serious. Sidoh had probably gotten the wrong name; Nu was the enigmatic Shinigami who served as the King's right hand. She very rarely spoke to anyone, and if she did, it had to be an emergency of some sort. No, surely Sidoh was just being an idiot…

"I don't know. I was just asking her whether I could get a new notebook- I lost mine- but she said no. Then she asked me to pass on the message…'- he looked as though he was straining to remember what that was: "'I want to see you.'"

Ryuk looked, for one of the first times in his life, extremely worried. "I- is that all?" Then something else occurred to him. "Are you sure it was me?"

"Huh? Yeah, she said Ryuk."

_Crap…what the hell? The King already knows everything about me and the human world…_

Was it possible that the punishment for Ryuk's actions was to be made more severe? He couldn't think that Nu simply wanted some idle chit-chat. He knew of one Shinigami who had 'visited Nu' and never returned. Thoughts began swirling in his head…_Hell; can she read minds or something?! Maybe she knows that I'm planning on dropping another death note!_

"Oh!" Sidoh gasped so suddenly that it startled Ryuk. "She said something that I can't really remember how to say." His face took on another moronic expression.

"Oh…y-yeah? Well, I'll find out what it was when I see her. She'll be over at the temple, r-right?" Ryuk was referring to the domed building that was built entirely from bones, where Nu spent most of her time in solitude. It was rumoured that she even had her own viewing portal, where she could gaze into the human world. She was strange, even for a Shinigami, and Ryuk would not deny that he was quite afraid of her.

"Ryuk, did you do something bad?" Sidoh sounded almost concerned. If he was, it was more than Ryuk deserved. Having stolen his notebook once- and not offering to give him the spare one that he kept at the moment- Sidoh could probably be forgiven for thinking that Ryuk deserved whatever he had coming to him.

"Huh? No…I don't think so…" Ryuk stood up, his leathery feet making a crunching noise on the ground beneath him. He scanned the horizon, and could just about make out the rocky area of this region of the Realm where the Shinigami King apparently resided. Nu's home was located near there, though he couldn't see it.

"Do you want me to come?" Sidoh offered. "I can show you where-"

"Nah, I'll be alright. Thanks." Ryuk prepared to take flight, his black, feathers wings sprouting from his shoulders. Was he really about to go to his death? He'd soon find out. Ideally, he didn't want to die, but…what was worth living for?

"Oh, yeah. She said something about a human called…uh…Misa? And that she expects sui- suic- that she'll kill herself."

His back to Sidoh, Ryuk broke into a wide grin. His fear was instantly replaced by exhilaration.

_Shinigami Realm, you just got…interesting…_


	2. Nu

Having nothing better to do at present, Nu gazed down into the swirling black orb which was placed in the centre of a carved stone table she had long ago assembled. There was precious little else to be found in the white, igloo-resembling dome in which Nu resided. The mystical viewing globe enabled her to survey any human she chose, at any given point, exactly like the numerous other such objects in the Realm, only this miniature one belonged exclusively to her. Here, she could live separately from the noisy cretins which populated the Realm.

_Well, now. It seems as though we are making progress…and such intoxicating progress it is._

Nu usually only took an interest in humans whose names she intended to write in her Death Note. They were always desperately regretful individuals, who wanted nothing more than to correct the mistakes of their past, and to right what was wrong with their lives, and this one was no exception.

_Yes…I can feel your suffering, human…_

Misa Amane would probably not have realised that her intense sorrow was inducing feelings of warmth and comfort within the powerful being that observed her, and if she had, she doubtless wouldn't have cared. Nu watched the blonde actress, dressed completely in black, pouring through a photograph album in her ruined apartment, crying so very, very wretchedly. This was something of a change. For the past few days, Misa had been doing nothing but lying in bed, the television in her Victorian-style bedroom constantly blaring. It seemed as though she'd been fired from her latest project, though Nu didn't care what that might have been, and she certainly did not waste time looking for clues in the apartment. Well, it hardly mattered. What good is an actor who cannot break free of his own troubles to give a realistic portrayal of a character? The concept of acting, from Nu's point of view, was alien and if she had to define it, she'd say it was synonymous with lying.

_Where is Ryuk? I assumed he'd be interested in this…_

Nu, of course, would not usually have cared whether Ryuk cared or not. She hadn't granted him the dubious honour of visiting her 'temple' for his own light entertainment. No, she had bigger plans for Ryuk, Amane, and herself. Hell, if these plans came to pass, they would change the entire world…

In terms of distance, Nu's temple was located roughly two miles away from the cliffs where Ryuk had been idling his time away until Sidoh had appeared, delivering Nu's message. Ryuk flew above the jagged rocks and sandy plains, all the while apprehensive. Although excited to hear of the apparent suicide of Misa Amane, who he had previously possessed, he wondered what it was that Nu wanted from him. The domed structure appeared before him far too quickly, and he alighted on the smooth ground some distance away, tucking his black, feathered wings in. It was well-known that Nu hated being disturbed, and landing on her roof would probably accomplish exactly that.

_So…where's the entrance?_

There didn't seem to be one. The temple was appeared to be completely lacking in any particular feature, actually. It truly was just a bony well-made mound. Ryuk had walked over to it, and was circling the circumference. The temple backed out onto a cave, but-

"Ryuk, is that you?" a low voice spoke from within. It was quite soft, Ryuk was surprised to hear, and easily identifiable as female. He realised at that point that he had never actually heard Nu speak before. He opened his mouth to reply, and found himself sounding uncharacteristically nervous.

"Yeah- yes, I-"

"Please keep your voice down. I am only on the other side of this wall. Why do you not come in?"

Ryuk felt slightly embarrassed. Surely he must be missing something here. "I…can't find any door."

"I don't understand."

_What's this genius talking about? Oh, right…_

Ryuk took a step forward and phased through the wall, feeling completely idiotic. Perhaps it just hadn't seemed polite to enter by phasing, so he'd instinctively not done it…? All thoughts of foolishness quickly dissipated as he was confronted by the shinigami who had summoned him.

Nu stood tall, almost as tall as Ryuk himself, though she was much larger overall. He'd seen her before, but never this close up. Her body was almost entirely grey, and she resembled a seven-foot, pointed human thumb sticking out of the ground, with no legs visible, though two normal-looking arms extended from the middle part of her body, with gnarled hands. The entire figure had the external texture and colour of a slimy rock, and of course, then there were the eyes…

Dozens of scattered eyes covered Nu's upper body, giving her perfect, 360 degree vision all around her. The eyes varied in size, but all were perfectly round and bulging, a bit like Ryuk's. Parts of Nu's head were coloured black, and patchily, around the eyes. All in all, she was easily the weirdest-looking shinigami Ryuk had ever seen.

"Sidoh came to see you, I trust?" At this point, an ordinary mouth revealed itself upon its opening, and was located beneath a small bump which must have been her nose. Above her nose, two eyes were clearly situated symmetrically, which was a relief, because in all honesty, Ryuk hadn't known where to be looking when he addressed her.

"Uh, yeah, he did." Ryuk cast his eyes around the temple. It really did seem to be just one large, circular room, with a shrine standing near the far end, where a few candles were burning, as they were at regular intervals along the wall. Of course, the temple had no other source of light. What his eyes were focused on, however, was…

"Is that a viewing sphere?! Wow."

Nu shook her body impatiently. "Yes, it is, but if I were you, Ryuk, I would be wondering why I'd been called upon by the highest-ranked shinigami."

Ryuk's nerves returned instantly. He'd been quite preoccupied with the hypnotic sphere which enabled the human world to be viewed…Nu practically had her own home entertainment set.

"Well…yeah, actually. Sidoh said something about Misa Amane killing herself. You must know that I possessed her…so I assumed it was something about that."

Nu did not answer the question directly, but instead motioned with an arm towards the sphere. "Take a look," she permitted graciously, "she isn't dead – yet."

Ryuk walked cautiously over towards the sphere, realising that not many Shinigami had ever done this before, and was interested to know whether this orb operated differently to the others. Apparently they didn't. Ryuk's wide eyes looked hungrily into the orb. He had to think of Misa's name in order for her to appear, though that only took a second. There she was, alright.

_Oh, I remember that apartment well…_

He was looking into the rooms where he had had such very good fun. He remembered it all so clearly that he could have been watching it happen. Light concocting his various schemes…Saying goodbye to Misa as she gave up the Death Note….he felt not only a wave of nostalgia, but a feeling of longing towards this period in his life. He was really starting to regret having finished Light off now. But he'd left Misa well alone, and now, apparently, she was going to die pretty soon. She'd put the photo album away and was now sitting at her vanity in the bedroom, putting on her makeup, her face a blank mask.

"Nu, how long does she have?" Ryuk turned to the female shinigami hovering over his shoulder, quite literally. She didn't even appear to be using her wings.

"Have you not yet learned how to read a lifespan, Ryuk?" Her tone suggested that somehow, she was not surprised. When Ryuk shook his head, she continued, "Three hours and twenty minutes. Approximately." She mumbled the last word quietly, as though she'd said it reluctantly.

Ryuk felt a cold chill. This was not supposed to be happening. As a shinigami, taking so much interest in humans was frowned upon. Yet Nu had invited him here to do just that. Was this some kind of test?

"So…" Ryuk took his eyes away from the numbers floating above Misa's head, and asked Nu directly, "why am I here? I don't think you just wanted me to watch some human girl commit suicide."

Ryuk may have imagined it, but in the flickering candlelight, the Nu's mouth flickered, and all of her eyes lit up for a brief second. Perhaps she was even smiling, albeit slightly sinisterly.

"I know all about you, Ryuk," she began. Ryuk could feel a speech coming on. "I know everything, and as such am the King's arm, his will. Along with Armonia Justin Beyondormason- though he is not as powerful as I- I have the capacity to regulate all the activities of this Realm. You probably wonder who carries out the punishment of dissenting shinigami. Well..." she pointed a finger at herself. Ryuk blurted out, in his terror:

"No! Nu, I…please…" he didn't care that he was begging. He'd pleaded with a much less threatening force before, all for the sake of a juicy, juicy apple…

"I don't intend to kill you, Ryuk." She was calm, but Ryuk knew that she had not yet finished her sentence. "If you assist me, then I will do you no harm at all. In fact, I think you'd be happy to oblige anyway."

"What- what do you want me to do?" If shinigami needed to take breaths, then Ryuk would have been holding his at this point.

"I want you to help me resurrect Light Yagami. Ah- that certainly sounds interesting, don't you agree?"


	3. Freefall

Misa Amane walked slowly through the streets of Tokyo, her dark Lolita dress whipping in the wind. She was dressed to the nines, and there was no way she could have gone unnoticed. With platform shoes on, and her make-up thick and dramatic, it was little wonder that she found people to be giving her odd glances. Even if she had not been famous, Misa would always have had a talent for attracting people wherever she went. Right now, of course, she could not really be bothered to maintain the charm offensive which had made her career so successful.

_Huh, it's as if they're all taunting me…_

Misa regarded the shop windows with a look of desperation. The whole area seemed to be a covered in pink and red. Everywhere she looked, hearts decorated the windows and happy couples ambled along, hand-in-hand, some of them clutching balloons or teddy bears or other gifts. It all seemed…so unfair. She increased her walking pace until she reached the centre of the district, and the rail station. Glad to be away from the happiness, she descended the steps, with a fair bit of difficulty, given her impractical footwear.

She already knew which train she was going to catch, and because she owned a rail pass, she didn't need to stop to speak anyone in order to buy a ticket. This line ran out of the centre of the shopping district and out to the suburbs of the city, though she only planned to travel a short way. In any case, she'd chosen a time of day when there would be less people around, as the working day had not yet finished, so the platform seemed fairly deserted. She stood several minutes near the edge of the platform before she snapped out of her trance and realised that someone was staring at her. It must have been some kind of intuition, because the young boy was gawping at her directly from behind. Misa turned to look at him, and gave him a weak smile and wave, expecting him to shyly look away. However, her acknowledgement of him seemed to give him some confidence, as he leapt up from his seating position and strode towards her.

_Oh, crap…not a fanboy, not now…_

"Um…" he mumbled, looking down at his feet, blushing scarlet, "are you Misa-Misa?" He gulped, waiting for an answer. Misa smiled genuinely, as she looked him up and down. He was quite attractive, but dressed quite smartly, so he didn't look like a typical fan of hers. He was perhaps ten inches taller than her, even in her big shoes, and probably ten years younger, though they could probably have passed for a romantic couple.

"Yeah, I am. I'm getting so popular! What's your name?" She'd been churning this line out for years now, but she didn't know what else to say.

The guy looked astonished, as though he couldn't believe he was actually talking to _Misa Amane! _He backed away, having unintentionally gotten quite close up to her and replied; "Oh…I'm Light. I loved you in that film you did with Hideki Ryuga! I just came over to… uh… tell you that I…well, that's it really!" Now he'd gotten in his stride, but his joyous smile dropped a few notches when he noticed Misa's own face turn quite blank. "Well, I'll see you around some time…" Light started to move away, looking worried that he might in some way have offended her. Misa regained her composure quickly.

"Yeah, I, ah…my train's here!" Luckily for her, the sound of the engine came from around the corner, just in time to break the awkward moment. As it rolled in, Misa gave a wave to Light, who waved back, but in a concerned manner, as though he could sense something was wrong. The instant the doors swung open, Misa leapt into the almost empty carriage, where she proceeded to sit down. The train couldn't have pulled away quickly enough, and Misa felt herself relax after a few moments.

_Now what…?_

Her thoughts turned once again to the face of the person who had so dominated her life for several years now, even in his death. Light Yagami had died over a year ago, but despite this, Misa had been unable to get on with her life. She had been told by Matsuda that Light had died fighting Kira, but the detective had not elaborated on the details. Of course, he had attended Light's funeral, but that had been an almost disturbingly quiet affair, and nothing more had been said.

At the time, Misa didn't care. All she knew was that her fiancé, her love, was gone from the world and was never coming back. Nothing else had mattered at all. However, as time had gone on, Misa began to wonder about the circumstances of Light's death. Was it just coincidence that Kira seemed to have disappeared at that point? Could even Light, really, have defeated him so easily? She remembered all too well the look in Matsuda's eyes when she'd heard the news from him. Then there was Mogi, to whom she had been so close, even living with, for the weeks up until…Light's death. This hadn't been by her own free will, naturally, but…Mogi owed her some explanation, surely.

_Light was Kira. _

It could be true. Perhaps she even wanted it to be true. She knew that she herself had been a suspect as the "Second Kira". Even her sequence of events just seemed to add up. The more she thought about that wondrous day when she had first seen Light in Aoyama, the more it seemed to make sense. It couldn't be coincidence that she couldn't remember having learned Light's name. Nor that Kira had disappeared at that point in time. Nor that she had been taken into custody, _twice_, as a suspect. Nor that nobody seemed willing to tell her the truth about Light's death. Nor that, most painful of all, Light never seemed to take an interest in her, and was always preoccupied with something. Like having "coincidental" meetings with…that _bitch_. Who, oddly enough, ended up dead soon after her involvement with Light.

That was way too many coincidences.

The thought that Light was Kira gave her some kind of hope. Maybe she was the Second Kira. She'd been cracking up over the long years of repeated traumatic events (parents' murder, stalker attack and death, bound to a chair and gagged for fifty-three days, etc), so for all she knew, she could have been. Kira had killed her parents' killer, so that would have been a dream, to be honest.

She missed Light so, so much. It wasn't just Light; she seemed to have nobody left. Everyone she'd ever loved was gone. Nobody could understand her anymore, and nobody seemed to be trying. Today was the day. She could just imagine the headlines now: "Misa Amane in shock Valentine's Day Suicide!"

How romantic it would be.

The train arrived at her station even more quickly than she had expected. The setting sun was bathing the area in a warm glow, which Misa could almost feel within herself as she stepped down. Then she became afraid, as the train rolled away. It was as if it had taken her to her death.

_I could just go back…but what would have changed?_

The large, concrete buildings were sparser in this part of the city, and there wasn't nearly as much traffic. She left the station quickly, intending to be ready before the sun completely set. The building she was headed for was the tallest in the vicinity, so she could see it right now, only a block away. As she strolled, she quelled her fear, and almost began to enjoy herself. It was a pity it was so damn cold.

She had arrived.

The building was fairly new, and had the appearance of being made entirely out of glass. It only a few years old and Misa had lived here for a short while in 2004, before the taskforce had switched its HQ. This place held some dear memories, mostly of just…being here with Light and the others. She knew that she had annoyed them, but she couldn't help but feel that she had won them all over, in time. Especially Ryuzaki…had Light killed him…? That didn't matter anymore. None of it did, really. Whether Light had been a murderer or not, she'd always love him.

_No matter what._

Misa had come this far, but it dawned on her that she had no way to actually enter the building. Surely she couldn't just walk in. On the other hand, it could well be a public building, but…that seemed fairly unlikely. It was a massive multi-storey, probably used as offices. Still, even buildings like this had to have a fire escape.

Misa stopped walking and faced the entrance, on the other side of the road. The automatic doors opened and closed, as men clad in suits began leaving the building. It looked like they were done for the day.

Then she saw it.

To on the north-facing side of the building, a silver door, designed to look like part of the wall, was propped open. Misa could see a couple of women leaning out of it, cigarettes in hand. She had no choice but to try her luck here. If not, then…well, she'd cross that bridge when she came to it. Taking a deep breath, she crossed the road and awkwardly began making her way towards the two women.

As she approached, one of them, around twenty-five years old, raised an eyebrow and titled her head in Misa's direction. The older woman who accompanied her also turned around and blew out a puff of smoke before opening her mouth to speak.

"Can I…help you?" she asked in a slightly supercilious tone. Misa looked her straight in the eye and, with all the energy she could muster, made her face into a big, soppy smile. She didn't know why she didn't just push past and mumble some excuse, but it would have felt…wrong, in a way. The last thing she needed was for security to kick her out, right before her moment of…whatever. Anyway, Misa had learned long ago that most of the time; people just didn't give a crap about what you were doing, as long as you weren't disturbing them, so…  
"Hi! Yeah, you know, I was just wondering whether it would be alright if I came into the building this way because the reception people seem really strict and I have a date with a guy who works here and he asked me-"

"Alright!" This was the younger one, "You can use the fire escape; I don't give a shit." All the same, she did look a tiny bit suspicious.

Misa could live with that. She entered the dingy corridor and began clambering up the stairs, her shoes making a metallic sound on the floor. As she ascended, her thoughts turned once again to Light. It was such a creep sense of déjà vu returning here, and she remembered Light's caring words so clearly, it was as if they were echoing off the walls.

"_No, not if this puts you in danger…You stay put, Misa! …What are you talking about, Misa…" _ The last one almost made her laugh. Light's face when he had rejected her mock-offer of sex had been so adorable. Most guys would have jumped at the chance, but not Light…he was always so concerned for her and solving the Kira case…or at least it had seemed, back then. She became so lost in her thoughts that she barely noticed which storey she was on, so it was a good thing that she intended to just keep going until she reached the top.

She was panting by now, having climbed at least fourteen flights of stairs. She wished she'd bought a bottle of water. Or even a flask of whiskey to calm her nerves. No, on second thoughts, that would have been a bad idea. Particularly given her enthusiastic behaviour towards those two women, she didn't want paramedics to find alcohol in her system…they'd think she'd make a drunken, impulsive decision. It certainly wouldn't be the first time.

_Oh…the steps end here._

Coming from the door onto the rooftop, she could here the breeze and as she opened the door, its rusty hinges creaking, the wind hit her fully, and her face felt as though it were being bitten. However, moving across the helipad, she took in the breathtaking view of the setting sun, and knew instantly that she had made the right choice in coming here. The sky was a dark pink, and the sun was a hemisphere of bright orange, slowly disappearing. The light highlighted the clouds beautifully, and Misa felt oddly content. Any thoughts of returning to her depressing, miserable apartment as though nothing had happened had vanished. So, as she moved towards the rail, a sad smile broke across her face. Oddly, it felt as though she'd done this before, but she knew she had never been up here…

No matter.

With difficulty, she clambered over the safety rail. The wind had died down now, and she resumed looking over towards the horizon. She remained this way for several minutes, until she could bare it no longer. Closing her eyes to hold back the tears, many questions remained in her head as she dangled one foot over the edge. Where was she going to go? What was going to happen? Was she ever going to see Light or her family again…?

She was only falling for a couple of seconds, before the time came to find out. As her body hit the roof of a Toyota Pruis (how ironic- the friendliest car on the market) and the alarm started sounding, nobody could possibly have predicted what was going to happen next, especially not Misa herself.


	4. The Secret of Life

**Author's Note: **This chapter is written in italics purely because the events take place at a time prior to the events of the previous chapter. This story won't be written entirely in chronological order. Thanks for reading! Or being about to read, hopefully…

"_Wh-what?!" Ryuk burst out laughing. Showing his pointed teeth, he clutched at his sides and his body contorted into several inappropriate positions. As he coughed and choked, he could have sworn he felt his eyes well up before he finally calmed down. All the while, Nu was regarding him calmly, and barely moved a muscle. Her eyes bore into him, until he began to give her a fearful, look._

"_I…what are you talking about, Nu? I have to admit, I never thought joking was your style." He was already regretting saying this as he heard the words come from his mouth. Temporarily, he'd forgotten whose company it was that he was in. Nu didn't speak until a few moments later. Her tone was as deadly serious as her facial expression. Or her 'mini-face' at any rate._

"_You're certainly correct on that score, Ryuk. I don't care to joke about anything. As you may well have observed during your tenure in the Realm, I seldom speak at all. When I do communicate with anyone verbally, I am already sacrificing peace and quiet. Do you imagine that I would spend that time spouting inanities?" _

_Ryuk replied that he most definitely did not imagine such things. Ryuk waited for her to speak, but she didn't. Instead she turned around and resumed looking into the orb, focusing on Misa Amane. He had no idea what on Earth (or elsewhere) was going on. It was official: the second-in-command shinigami had, somehow, gone insane. Yet that explanation just didn't seem to ring true. The candles continued burning, and Ryuk cast his eyes about the place, feeling imprisoned. Why anyone could choose to live in this kind of filthy, claustrophobic environment, Ryuk didn't know. At the moment, though, he had other things on his mind._

"_Nu," he boldly addressed her as she continued to observe him. It suddenly struck him that Nu was almost getting some kind of pleasure out of all this. She had of course only turned around in order to make him feel uncomfortable; her line of vision had not been impeded at all. _

"_Are you ready to discuss resurrection now?" A small smile formed on her grey, thin lips. "Without breaking into hysterics?"_

"_Y-yes," Ryuk's tried hard to concentrate, "I thought I must have misheard you the first time. I mean, apart from the fact that the rules say-"_

"_The 'rules' outline a great variety of things, Ryuk. It doesn't make them true." She paused as Ryuk's jaw dropped. _

"_If the king heard you talking like this-"_

"_He would…what, precisely?" She twisted her mouth, as though she were tired of dealing with such a simpleton. "Don't attempt to tell a higher-ranked shinigami anything about how they should behave as far as the king is concerned, Ryuk." _

_The idea that Ryuk could have been concerned for her safety seemed to have passed her by (not that he was; he was simply surprised to hear Nu speaking in a manner which seemed somehow treacherous)._

"_I wasn't, Nu."_

"_Very well then. I suppose you were about to refer to the old phrase; 'Once dead, they can never come back to life'-which is often written in the notebooks of childish shinigami whose intelligence is too lacking to remember that apparent 'fact'. It's not technically a rule."_

_Feeling about two feet tall, Ryuk gave an exasperated sigh and continued. "Yeah, but…why are you saying that you're going to bring Light Yagami back to life?! I don't understand!"_

_Every single one of Nu's eyes seemed to blaze with impatience. "I just need you to know that human resurrection is possible-"_

"_It can't be!"_

"_It is." Ryuk could hear the words quivering, as though some emotion was fighting to be released, "Haven't you ever wondered how shinigami are born, Ryuk?"_

_Ryuk was dumbstruck. Of course he had always thought about where he had come from. He had never known any kind of parent, unless the king could be included. So he really couldn't come up with any reasonable argument. But this…what was she saying?! _

"_Do you mean that-?"_

"_Yes. A shinigami is created from the soul of any human who has used a death note. That's all there is to it."_

_Ryuk stared back at her. Due to his eyes constantly being wide open, he appeared only slightly different than usual, though there was a spark of life in his eyes. He was bursting with questions, hoping only that Nu would answer every single one of them. How? Where? Why? _

"_But Nu…are you saying that a soul actually exists? I thought that was just crap made up by humans." _

_Nu let out a patronising sigh. "Those ethereal substances that enter the void aren't there for no reason, you know. Those are the souls of every living human being that dies. This is where they end up. The vast, vast majority are dispersed; of course-we have no need for most of them- but they all end up alongside the king. He is the one who is responsible for their fate."_

"_But…their bodies-"_

"_We'll discuss all of that later." _

_None of this sat right with Ryuk. It just didn't make sense that Nu would tell him all of this out of the blue. She had to be the only shinigami who knew about…the origins of their species, but if the king presumably planned on creating more Shinigami…_

"_Why are you telling this to me, Nu? Even if Light Yagami's soul is…turned into a Shinigami, then it doesn't have anything to do with me. I don't care. And where does Misa Amane come into it?" He was exasperated, his head spinning._

_Nu bowed her head slowly. "It matters because…this time it's different." Nu moved gracefully towards the other side of her cave, and withdrew her arm and stuck it right into the wall. Bizarrely, she seemed to be withdrawing a skull-like object. She clutched it tightly, like a valuable treasure, as she carried it over to the table on which the viewing sphere was laid, as she placed the skull (it was actually some kind of hollowed-out rock) onto the corner. To Ryuk's amazement, it seemed to be pulsating with a white, mystical light._

"_I-is that-?"_

"_Light Yagami's soul. I affixed it to this rock using a binding technique. It wasn't difficult- all I had to do was prevent the soul from exiting the world by protecting it from the elements in the air."_

"_When you say 'exiting the world-'" Ryuk suddenly stopped talking, for Nu appeared to have experienced a jolt of pain. She attempted to mask it but it was already too late._

"_What is it? Are you hurt?"_

"_No. I…I just don't know what lies beyond the Realm, that's all. Please don't mention it again."_

_So, Nu wasn't as clued-up as she liked to let people think. That was quite interesting, from Ryuk's point of view. It was almost amusing to know that it pained her to be brought to the same level of ignorance as the other shinigami, on the topic of "life after death"._

"_Why have you got Light's soul then? Shouldn't the king be…using it, or whatever? Wait a minute…" Nu bowed her head again, at the mention of her master. "The king…he doesn't know about this, does he?"_

_Nu angrily jerked her head up. "No, and it's going to stay that way, am I clear?" _

_Ryuk almost laughed. "Why's that Nu? What can you do about-"_

_Nu immediately stretched out her arms, and placed two of her gnarled fingers on Ryuk's neck. He dematerialised his body, and she pulled them away. "Who was it, who facilitates the punishments around here?" _

"_Y-you." Ryuk stammered, afraid for reasons he didn't exactly understand. Nonetheless, he wasn't eager to find out how Nu could torture and kill him, so he kept quiet. Besides, he really had no intention of turning her in. He couldn't blame her for wanting to break free of the rules of this dump._

"_Why? What have you done? I understand the souls and- you're going to tell me about the bodies in your own time, I get it- but what do you want from _me_?"_

"_It was simple, really. You know so much about the human world, and I deduced that the knowledge you gained during your stay would be useful to me. The shinigami I plan on creating- though I have never performed a birth before- are indeed going to be made from the souls of Light Yagami, Misa Amane, and five other humans who have used the notebook- I have four other souls stored away. That wall over there backs out onto the impermeable cave, as you probably know."_

_The impermeable cave was a mystery to most Shinigami. It was impossible to phase through it, as the name suggested. So Nu had chosen the best possible hiding spot. It wasn't ideal, but the Shinigami Realm was not known for its hidey-holes. _

"_Four other souls?" Ryuk asked. "Why?"_

"_Teru Mikami. Kiyomi Takada. Mihael Keehl. L Lawliet." Nu had noticed the grin spreading on Ryuk's face. "I see you recognise the names. I have been waiting a long time for this moment. Once Misa Amane is finally dead, I can assemble all seven souls!" For the first time, enthusiasm crept into Nu's voice, and it did not suit her. Ryuk actually felt creeped out, slightly. Then he was confused again._

"_Wait. You said 'five other humans'. That only accounts for four. And why does there have to be that number?"_

"_You heard me correctly both times, Ryuk. In total I will require seven human souls with which I can…all of that in due time. The seventh soul will be that of Nate River."_

"_Nate River?" Ryuk remembered; that was Near's true name. "But Near never used a death note."_

_Nu sneered, "I beg to differ. In fact, he was directly responsible for the death of Teru Mikami…well, directly after you, anyway. You should have suspected so, Ryuk. And you should have remained on Earth until you ascertained the destruction of all the notebooks."_

"_Hyuk, hyuk. That little hypocrite! He was high and mighty enough when he was telling Light how EVIL he was for using the notebook. But…hasn't he got a while to die yet?" _

_Nu glared back at Ryuk in contempt, which turned to disappointment. "Are you or are you not a shinigami?"_

"_Er…yeah. Oh…" Ryuk took a glance down at his notebook, tucked into a holster on his waist._

"_Kill him, then, you idiot!"_


	5. Funeral

The sun was high in the sky, which in itself was a clear shade of blue. The light being cast over the cemetery had caused the most of the snow to melt, though the mourners standing around Misa Amane's grave still felt the cold February chill on their faces. Matsuda was crying, and he felt the tears on his face freeze ever so slightly. The service had ended a while ago, and the grave had been freshly filled in.

"Matsuda…" This was Aizawa, who had been about to berate his colleague for being so unprofessional- out of habit- but now really was not the time. Instead, Aizawa put a friendly hand on Matsuda's shoulder.

"Thanks, Aizawa," Matsuda sniffed. "I know I shouldn't be-"

"Keep your voice down." Aizawa muttered under his breath. It was just like Matsuda to forget that discussing Misa Amane's involvement in the Kira case in public was forbidden. They'd all taken that silent code of honour.

In fact, simply being here was a risk. Mogi had every right to come, as he had legitimately been Misa's former manager. Aizawa took a glace at Mogi, who stood to his right. His demeanour was as calm as usual, but there was, naturally, a hint of sadness in his eyes. He had probably known Misa best out of all of them. The four detectives- Aizawa, Matsuda, Ide and Mogi- had travelled to Kyoto for Misa's funeral. She'd probably have preferred to have been buried alongside her beloved Light Yagami, but she hadn't been his wife…and she belonged here, with her parents. At least that was what her sister (who didn't bother showing up) had said.

"So…are we ready to go then?" This was Ide. He was the one guy who hadn't particularly wanted to come. The other three looked at him in surprise. Aizawa- ever the hothead- was about to make another hissing remark in regards to "in public", but when he looked around, he realised that they were just about the only ones left. Filmmakers, friends and a number of celebrities had turned out to pay their respects to the actress, tragically driven to suicide after her lover's death.

That was the truth, naturally. In all honesty, Aizawa hadn't been all too surprised when the news had been sensationally revealed on the cover of most Japanese newspapers, and on T.V. Misa had always said- much to Light's awkwardness- that Light was her soulmate, and that she couldn't have lived on without him. Still, the news had not been pleasant to hear.

Aizawa looked down at the grave. It was quite an impressive crucifix-shaped monument, made from marble (Aizawa didn't know who had paid for it- but then again, Misa had had more than enough money of her own), and decorated with small, golden angels. It read:

_Misa Amane _

_1984-2011_

_Beloved Daughter, Sister and Fiancée_

_Remembered in our Hearts _

Aizawa couldn't help but feel slightly cynical. The girl lying down in that grave was, after all, responsible for hundreds- no, more like thousands- of deaths. That could eventually have included his own eventually, Aizawa thought. Also, "beloved sister and fiancée"? Please. That was highly debatable. That last part made him feel slightly guilty.

To his left, Matsuda spoke. "Come on, let's get out of here. I'm freezing-"

"I suppose this really is the end of Kira now, isn't it?"

The voice came from behind them, and all four of them recognised it at once. The graveyard was fairly open, and the detectives, wheeling around in shock, could instantly make out the faces of- though it was hard to believe- the SPK members.

Halle Lidner, Anthony Rester and Stephen Gevanni all looked exactly as they always had; sombre, and dressed in black formal suits. And well they might, since they were guarding, after all…

"Near…I mean, L…what are you doing here?" Matsuda was the one who said it, but it was what all four of them were thinking.

"Matsuda," he replied, giving a curt bow, "Mogi, Ide, and Aizawa." He bowed at each of us in unison. His three companions mumbled "afternoon", and Near continued to speak. "No, Matsuda, you were right the first time. In public, it's 'Near'."

He didn't look like himself at all. He, like everyone else, was dressed smartly in a black suit, and his hair had been combed. This was a far cry from the pyjamas and 'bed head' look he usually sported. Aizawa briefly wondered to himself whether the original L would have adhered to such a dress code. It was in fact weird enough to see him outside, and standing up.

"I don't know why I risked coming here, before you all ask. It just seemed like…closure, if nothing else." He took a glance at the grave, without a great deal of sympathy in his face, which was understandable, Aizawa thought, before saying tentatively;

"But aren't you putting yourself at risk just being here? I know Kira's gone"- he subconsciously titled his head in the direction of the grave- "but surely there are others who-"

"We waited in the car until everyone had left," interrupted Halle Lidner, gesturing to the blacked-out Mercedes parked up outside the gates. It didn't look at all out of place, actually. "But I was surprised that the four of you stayed so long…" She looked as lovely as ever, and Aizawa could swear he felt Matsuda's cheeks burning from where he stood. However, she also looked concerned, though she was probably trying to hide it.

"We lost track of time," Aizawa responded, quite defensively. Nobody was surprised at this; since Aizawa had been promoted, he'd continued the (slightly ridiculous) rivalry between the NPA and the SPK that had existed during the Kira case.

"It's nice to see you too, Mr. Aizawa," Near smirked ever so slightly, but Aizawa could still see it. He'd never liked this guy. "Anyway, like I said, I just came here for closure; you can all go now." He was apparently done with them already. Aizawa felt his temper rising.

"If you didn't want to speak to us then why didn't you wait until we'd left before-?"

"I think I get it." Astonishingly, this was Mogi, who hadn't opened his mouth for several hours now. "You were testing us, weren't you? To see how we'd react to you saying that you want 'closure'. I know that to you, Misa, Light and everyone else is either good or bad, but there's more to it than that. And yes, I am sorry that she's dead. Just to save you analysing me at work."

Everyone stood with their mouths open. The initial shock on Aizawa's face- for one- quickly turned to a look that suggested that he was very impressed. Who'd have thought Kanzo Mogi would ever speak like that at all, let alone to a _superior_?! Of course, if anyone had tried that with Aizawa, then…that would be another story.

Near looked at Mogi in bewilderment, but there was also a hint of praise there. "Well, Mogi, I never meant to offend you-" He suddenly stopped talking, and his face turned ghostly white, and he began to clutch at his heart.

What happened next only took a few seconds, but to all present it felt as though they could have been witnessing it for a whole hour.

"N-near!" everyone appeared to shout aloud. Near collapsed to his knees; making wheezing and gurgling noises. His body then began to jitter uncontrollably as he collapsed into the light snow on the ground. The SPK and NPA members all tried desperately to do something, _anything_ to help him, but it was of course no use, as he came to stop moving, his face was staring directly at the text on Misa's grave. Simultaneously, Ide and Gevanni reached in their pockets for their mobiles. Gevanni dialled for an ambulance.

"Hello?!" The good-looking young agent sounded uncharacteristically panicked voice, "we need a-"

He was cut off short, by a constrained sound coming from the ground "Kira…." Quite surreally, Near breathed out slowly.

Matsuda was crouching by his side, shouting "Near, don't die! You can't die! What the hell is this?!" Aizawa was hit by a sudden feeling of déjà vu. He had seen Matsuda like this only once before, but it stuck in his mind: Soichiro Yagami's death less than one and a half years previously.

"Get back!" Matsuda felt Rester's large hand grasp onto his shoulder, "I know CPR!" Rester put both hands onto Near's chest, pressing down as hard as he could on the count of three each time. Rester had, of course, been Near's guardian. Aizawa had always presumed that after Light's death, 'Watari' had taken over, and maybe this was the case, but…he could easily have been watching a scene between a man and his son here. Rester looked up, his eyes devoid of tears, but wide-open, as though confused. Near's normally pale face was now stark white, and completely motionless, a look of contempt upon it.

"He-he's dead…"

* * *

Ryuk watched the spectacle from high above, sniggering. He had risked enticing Nu's wrath when he had written the condition of Near's demise into the notebook days ago, wanting to stretch out the entertainment.

_Nate River, heart attack. Dies at the graveside of his latest-deceased adversary, surrounded by trusted co-workers. _

Watching from Nu's private viewing sphere, Ryuk had to admit that it had gone even better than he'd hoped. Of course Near would never have gone to Misa Amane's funeral (at least- he didn't think so). Nonetheless, he hadn't considered the possibility of everyone at the yellow-box warehouse being there. In fact, he had been foolish not to specify 'Misa Amane' in the conditions of death; since she was dead, she would of course not have been affected by the Death Note.

_Ah, Near. Well, if you'd taken the notebook for yourself, perhaps you'd still be alive. It serves you right anyway. It was selfish to permit me from remaining in the human world like that…_

Ryuk continued to watch as the event was slowly attracting more people into the cemetery, who the distressed looking agents readily dispersed with waves of their police badges. There was Matsuda, falling to his knees, crying…and the others all looked very alarmed, perhaps realising that this was no accident.

_Relax guys. I'm not going to kill you…she only wants Near._

Nu wasn't watching Near's death scene, having gone to prepare herself for the extraction of his soul. When she realised that Ryuk had not written down that Near would have a standard "forty-seconder", she had been seeming with impatience and rage, but had managed to contain it. Ryuk himself regretted having written the conditions of death so far in advance, but there was nothing he could have done about it afterwards. Naturally.

The days leading up to Misa's funeral had been fairly tedious. He'd been gambling with Sidoh and Gukku- two people he could easily beat in any given game- who had noticed that he was not quite himself.

"_What's the matter, Ryuk?"_ _Gukku whined, scratching his fur. "You've not been engaged today. I've beaten you three times already." He moved his rugged hand over to the centre of the circle around which they sat, and picked up two skulls as his prize._

"_Oh…" Ryuk was startled, not quite knowing how to reply. "Well, I was just thinking. Shouldn't I have been promoted by now?"_

_Both Sidoh and Gukku looked at him, then at each other, slightly confused. "Promoted?" Sidoh replied, "What do you mean?"_ Sidoh, surprisingly, was currently at Rank Eight, only two below Ryuk. Gukku was between them, at Rank Seven. However…

_Gukku laughed. "What? Since when do you care about that? Besides-" he let out a shrill laugh not unlike Ryuk's own- "don't you think that you're lucky to even be here after what you've done?"_

_The three of them sat in their usual spot, a flat area of sand at the base of one of the cliffs. In fact, Gukku hardly ever left the area, not caring about the activities of the other Shinigami. Ryuk would often fly away in search of greater entertainment, usually accompanied by Sidoh._

_Ryuk's face took on a look of disappointment. "Yeah, I suppose you're right." _

"_I don't get it, Ryuk."_

"_You should have that printed on a T-Shirt, Sidoh"_

"_Huh?"_

"_Exactly." _This witty remark wasn't really all that funny, since Ryuk privately doubted that even Nu would know what a T-Shirt was. So, he couldn't really call Sidoh stupid for that. Well, whatever_._

"_Ever since you got back from the human world you've changed, Ryuk." Sidoh narrowed his already very small eyes, as though trying to figure out why. He didn't actually ask what was bothering him- he'd done that many times before._

"_Have I?"_

"_Yeah," interrupted Gukku, "I don't like it. It's as if you…I don't know…got fond of the humans or something." He then jerked his head downward, as though nodding. Then he did it again. And again._

"_Er…are you okay, Gukku?" Ryuk raised an eyebrow muscle._

"_It's your turn to deal!" Gukku lunged forward and actually grabbed Ryuk's chin, and yanked it down so he was looking at the game. "The cards, Ryuk! You're losing it…" he started to shake his horse-skull-like head, causing his beaded necklace to jingle. _

The game had thus resumed, and nothing more interesting had happened.

Ryuk turned around as he heard Nu phasing through the wall of the temple. She entered via the back, where the souls were apparently stored. This was the section of wall which connected Nu's place to the mountain behind.

In her arms, she carried a total of seven skulls. Each one seemed to have belonged to a different creature, since they all seemed to vary in size and shape. Something else Ryuk noticed was that one of them had a light that was significantly dimmer than the other six. Two of them, on the other hand, shone very brightly. Nu seemed to sense what Ryuk was thinking. "As time passes, the radiance of the light diminishes. Not even I can prevent them from disappearing indefinitely."

"I see…now what?"

Ryuk and Nu stood silently for a few seconds. Nu appeared to be quite lacking in enthusiasm, considering she had achieved her goal. Of course, this wasn't entirely true, and Ryuk thought he understood what the problem was. Although Nu had the seven souls she required, she could always dispose of them and cancel her plans completely. This was her final chance to do this, and she wanted to think it over.

"Ryuk." She composed herself, and looked directly at him. "I know that this is an extremely tense situation for you. I'm sure you're aware that if all goes to plan, these souls will have bodies in a matter of hours."

Ryuk nodded slowly. He thought he could detect some reluctance in her voice…

"Therefore."

Ah, there it was.

"I'm offering you the opportunity to walk away. You and I can part company now, if you do not wish to endanger your very existence any further." This was rather unexpected. Ryuk had always presumed that Nu would never run the risk of letting Ryuk opt out, only for him to go blabbing. In a sense, that she was holding him hostage. Maybe he had misjudged her.

"No, I don't want to do that. I want to see you perform a resurrection."

Nu looked a little shifty, and then relieved. "Well, that's a good thing. You must have known that if I were…caught, I'd have told the king all about your involvement. So, let's proceed."

Well, at least she was honest about her would-be treachery. She gestured to the wall through which she had only just entered. The whole room seemed suddenly to darken, and the flames on the candles flickered a little. Ryuk followed her lead, a little fear creeping into his mind


	6. Half Life

As soon as Ryuk phased through the wall, following Nu, he felt a strangely unfamiliar sense of foreboding. He just knew that he was not supposed to be here, and without Nu's assistance, would not have made it through at all. Then again, if he were caught, then he surely wouldn't be punished, right? Nu was a higher-ranking Shinigami than he, so she could take all the flack, since she'd ordered him to help her. Well, this wasn't strictly the truth, but…

It was dark in here, and a little claustrophobic. Humans may not be able to last long in here, as Ryuk could detect no visible spaces for oxygen to enter the tunnel. Come to think of it, was the air in the Realm breathable at all? Was there any air? Ryuk stretched out his arm, his talons brushing the rocky ceiling as he did. Even with the torch that Nu carried, he could barely see his hand in front of his face. His superior Shinigami-vision was of no help.

"Hey, Nu, I walk next to you?" he asked, feeling extremely pathetic, "it's just that I don't really know where I going, _hyuk, hyuk!_" This was a nervous laugh, something which Ryuk was not accustomed to either.

"No," Nu replied, "the tunnel is extremely narrow; there would be an insufficient amount of space in which I could move. Just keep behind me."

Ryuk didn't ask again, but instead took to attempting to check out his surroundings. As Nu's flame passed by the walls of the tunnel, he could see that there was nothing unusual, though every few seconds the flame illuminated an etching on the wall. The symbols seemed to grow more and more bizarre as time went on. Narrow lines and shaped to complicated drawings of- unmistakably- people engaging in various activities. Human people.

And boy, did time go on. It seemed as though they spent hours working their way through a labyrinth of passages, pausing only very briefly while Nu apparently navigated. It may not have been so long, however, as time seemed to stand still here, even more than in the outer Realm. Getting bored, Ryuk began to ponder what exactly would occur when Nu "resurrected" Light. The others weren't quite so interesting, in Ryuk's mind. He hadn't asked Nu many questions, knowing that she probably would not reply. Then, again, that would take all the fun out of the situation. He remembered how, during the Kira case, he rarely read what Light was writing in his Death Note for exactly that reason.

As Ryuk chortled to himself, Nu's darkened eyes frowned for a moment, though she obviously decided not to press the issue. She read the symbol which she was passing. The bronze image almost shone; she had brushed all the dirt away from it fairly recently. It was fairly simplistic, and to the trained eye its meaning was clear. An oval shaped ring with a jagged ring running directly through the centre; this was the symbol for birth. Here we are.

"Stop, Ryuk."

"_Hyuk, hyuk_- huh? We're here?" He turned his head, as though he hoped to see something, "But I don't-"

Nu did not respond, but instead phased through the wall to Ryuk's right. Well, he should have expected something like this. He followed her without hesitation, as without the torch, it really was pitch black in here, and it terrified him. The wall was very thick, and for a horrible moment Ryuk wondered whether Nu was playing a trick on him, but then he saw her up ahead, and smiled in relief.

"Come along, then." Nu's voice seemed to echo off the walls. They reached much higher in here, as Ryuk could see by the light of the torch. He moved parallel to her.

"OK. Is it much furth- aah!" Ryuk felt an odd sensation rising in his chest, as his foot came into contact with thin air, and he felt himself falling. By the time he realised what had happened, and after trying to de- and re-materialise his body, he found himself crouching in an awkward position some way beneath Nu.

"Watch out for the steps," she recommended, helpfully. "You should stay behind me at all times." Only _this_ Shinigami wouldn't have found this remotely funny. Sure enough, Ryuk had taken a slight tumble down a series of stone steps, and only now stood up, several stone steps below the female Shinigami. His new boss. Well, technically, she always had been, but Ryuk definitely felt the intelligence and status gap between them now, and remained silent.

Ryuk wasn't accustomed to climbing stairs, but had walked up several sloping landscapes in his time, and the feeling was pretty similar as he carefully found his feet and moved back into position behind Nu. Who didn't have any legs, actually, so how would she-?

For the first time in all the years that Ryuk had known her, Nu arched her back to open her wings, casting a shadow over some of her eyes. The wings were very gargoyle-like, though they were of course much finer. She glided gracefully down the flight of stairs, her body brushing the steps only lightly. Ryuk followed suit until he alighted at the bottom some thirty steps below. The tunnel seemed to continue forth, though Ryuk could see, way in the distance, a shining white light.

"Is this-?"

"Yes," Nu replied, and Ryuk could have sworn that she was excited, "we're here now. I won't keep you in suspense any longer." Then, she did something rather surprising. Nu could not run, though of course she could move at different speeds. As she moved forward, she suddenly seemed to rocket off, like an aeroplane gathering pace on a runway. The torchlight grew dimmer, and Ryuk ran after her. He hadn't done strenuous exercise in a _long _time. He must be getting old. Or something.

He had no idea what awaited him, but as the bright light approached ("light?"_ - hyuk_), he was practically beginning to salivate with a ravenous hunger, the same way he felt the first time he tried a Golden Delicious…but this was even stronger than that. Suddenly, Ryuk felt, unmistakeably, a breeze. A cold feeling crept over his skin, but that was impossible…there was no climate in the Shinigami Realm. He heard the buffering sound of wind blowing against the tunnel walls- if that was what it was. He was almost there now, and the light was bright enough, that Nu extinguished the torch. Arriving at the entrance- or exit- to the tunnel, he took a deep breath, and as he witnessed what had to be the most beautiful view he had ever seen.

From his eye level above, he could see the sky. A great sheet of azure, stretching on seemingly forever, marked only by sparse clouds. Not quite high enough to be in the stratosphere, but possibly in the ozone layer, Ryuk could see the Earth many miles below. From where he was standing, Ryuk could easily make out a large city; the most populous in the world, Tokyo. Where it all began. Ryuk had flown down there before, obviously, but…he'd taken the portal that connected the Realm to the human world. He had only ever been told that that was the only way. Yet being here…this was neither his world nor Light Yagami's. It was a very strange feeling, to say the least. The Pacific Ocean stretched vastly to the south, a darker blue than the sky, though Ryuk was nowhere near high enough to see any of the Japanese islands. Then, Tokyo was obscured slightly by rolling clouds down below.

"Nu…I….had no idea that this was here. How _are_ we here?" Ryuk could see the forbidding mountain of the Realm sloping behind him, until it was lost in the clouds. He couldn't see how it could be supported, however. Then again, he'd never thought about that anyway. Right now, he and Nu appeared to be standing on a cloud. If any humans could see this, they may well believe that this was the gateway to Heaven, the angels waiting to greet them. Though Ryuk and Nu looked anything but heavenly, to tell the truth. Still, what was beauty, anyway? Well, it probably didn't carry a notebook of death…but that was by-the-by.

"It's not too difficult to understand," Nu replied, "This area is invisible to humans and Shinigami- unless you exit the way we just did. You've simply never seen it before. Really though, there isn't a great deal to see. Now, follow me."

Ryuk was stunned. He had been alive for…well, he didn't know how long exactly, but a long time. Yet, even as one of the more curious Shinigami, he knew next to nothing about his own home, his own race. Then again, it seemed as though it had been intentionally kept a secret from him.

Then he was puzzled again. Nu had told him to follow her, yet there didn't seem to be anywhere to follow her to. Apart from the cotton wool-like clouds upon which they were standing, there was nothing here. However, as Nu moved forward, a hazy mist appeared to dissipate, though Ryuk hadn't even noticed the mist just a second ago. He was reluctant to leave this place, but had no choice as Nu's silhouette grew less solid as the mist began to reform.

"Hey, wait a minute!"

He attempted to run after her, but his feet half sunk into the cloud- if it even _was _a cloud- so he resumed a slower pace. The misty area grew thick, quickly, until Ryuk and Nu were shrouded in it. Gradually, though, the atmosphere grew clearer, and Ryuk could now definitely feel the ground beneath his feet become more solid. Then he saw it.

Rising out of the mist, and oddly surrounded in it at the same time, a little way below him was what appeared to be a cross between a battle arena and ancient ruins. Though Ryuk didn't know it, it bore a striking resemblance to the Roman coliseum, or the Pantheon, with great stone pillars and archways, all reaching up, but supporting nothing. It was a perfectly planar circle, though protected by a wall which ran around the entire circumference. It may have been up to one hundred feet in diameter.

"What is that…?" Ryuk was in such awe that he felt certain that nothing more than this could possibly surprise him. Yet he knew, instinctively, that they had arrived. The two Shinigami descended widely spaced steps down onto the arena. The floor was made up of a series of mosaic stone tiles, but Ryuk was more interested in what was at the centre. A gaping hole in the shape of an eye, from which beams of light shone upwards, seemed certainly not to have been there simply as a result of, say, failing to bear the weight of Midora. The beams of light were faint, as a result of natural light encompassing the surroundings, but Ryuk had seen some similar before. This was, unmistakably, another portal to the human world. It was much smaller than the main one in the realm, and didn't have steps leading down it, but surely it was big enough for a Shinigami to fit through. It would have been a bastard to enter the Realm through it though, if that were even possible.

"Look at the pillars, Ryuk."

"Huh?" Ryuk had been so caught up daydreaming that he had almost forgotten that Nu was even present. Again. So Ryuk looked all around him, at the pillars. There were about twenty of them in total, and at first glance looked fairly nondescript, but as Ryuk got a closer look…

"Is that a skeleton?!"

He could see it clearly, chained to the pillar in order to keep it upright. There was nothing unusual about bones and other body parts littering the Shingami Realm, but this skeleton was…complete. On closer inspection however, the skull was oddly out of proportion with the rest of the body. Ryuk didn't have a Master's in Biology, but h could tell, instantly, that wherever these bones had come from, they had all once belonged to a human being. Different humans, perhaps- and maybe a trace of gibbon here and there- but still.

"Nu?"

But Nu was over by another pillar. She seemed not to have heard Ryuk, and was instead using her fingertips to force through her own skin- which of course immediately healed itself- and produce one of the skulls she had shown to Ryuk earlier. As Ryuk approached, she seemed to be attaching it to a headless skeleton, bound to the pillar, and as she did, the result was very similar to that of the other one. Nu, naturally, had watched him come up to her and slid away, ignoring him and going over to yet another of the stone columns. This pillar was, again, an incomplete skeleton, until Nu withdrew a second skull and attached it, thereby repeating the process.

Ryuk was beginning to understand. These remains were going to become the bodies of the new Shinigami. He ran this theory by Nu, who nodded her head in confirmation. "That's right," she replied, "although they aren't ready yet. That will take at least a week. But the initial results will reveal themselves very quickly, I assure you of that." She looked breathtakingly triumphant, and after attaching the last of the skulls to the skeletons, moved back and stood beside Ryuk.

From the dead centre of the arena, Ryuk could see that there were, unsurprisingly, seven skeletons, each varying in size and shape but all ultimately the same: human bodies. What Ryuk couldn't see, however, was how these things were going to end up as functioning Shinigami. They may be glowing in the cranium- the souls retained their light- but, but…they were still just hollow shells. They couldn't possibly survive like this. They had no eyes for starters, and how else would they learn the names of their victims? Never mind not having the Shinigami eyes, these had empty sockets. That was a point, though. How long did a Shinigami have after birth to write a name in a notebook? Where would these guys _get_ a notebook? The only way Ryuk knew of was to ask the King for one…or steal one from one of your best buddies in his own case. The King was not supposed to know about any of this, so how-?

"Now Ryuk," Nu looked at him so forcefully that Ryuk quailed. "I have a special task for you. Well, it's not really difficult, but it needs to be done. This is crucial if we are to succeed. I need you to hold out your hand."

This was such a bizarre request, and Ryuk was taken aback. "What?" he almost chuckled, "why do you need me to do that?" He did so, nonetheless, but continued to look at the female Shinigami strangely.

Nu proceeded to guide him over to one of the skeletons, in the manner of a mother introducing two children. "I need you to put your hand over its head. This will no doubt be a familiar feeling to you, having given out the Shinigami Eyes on no less than _three_ occasions?" She said this in a reprimanding tone, though giving out the Shinigami Eyes was in itself certainly not against the rules, as far as Ryuk knew. Ryuk was too puzzled to care about that at the moment.

Well, yes I am, but I still don't understand. You want me to give these _skeletons_ Shinigami Eyes? They don't even have eyes!"

Nu sighed. "Please don't shout, Ryuk. Anyway, in answer to your question, yes, I do want you to give the Shinigami Eyes to these soon-to-be Shingami. However, it must be done at the cost of half of _your_ lifespan."

Ryuk just stared at her. "Are- are you serious? Give out half of my remaining lifespan just to give some piles of bones Shinigami Eyes- you're crazy, Nu! And _seven times_?! How do I do that, anyway?"

"There's nothing to fear. You _are_ a Shinigami; all you must do to increase your lifespan is to write names in a notebook."

Ryuk suddenly felt foolish.

"Oh, yeah you're right…" He raised his head to apologise. "I'm sorry that I shouted and said that you were crazy. I wasn't thinking."

"A common occurrence. I realise that you must have been shocked. You're probably wondering why I couldn't just perform the task myself." Ryuk hadn't, actually, but Nu continued. "Well, I will be, but only on two of the skeletons."

"The ones that will become Takada and Amane?" Ryuk wondered aloud. "The two females?" Ryuk didn't know why that was so obvious to him, but he was right.

"That's right. You see, Ryuk, by performing the life and eye-giving task, we won't just be giving the Shinigami the ability to see the names and lifespans of humans; we will also be bringing them to life. However, we cannot just give this to inanimate objects, so the receiving creature must be made up of something that had once been a living being, and had that DNA. If not, the creation of a Shinigami will simply not happen."

"So," Ryuk interrupted, "you could make any creature in the human world into a Shinigami? Or give a _dog_ the Shinigami eyes?"

"Please don't interrupt me, Ryuk. No, of course you couldn't give a dog the Shinigami Eyes. The recipient must be able to fully comprehend the consequences and deals of the Eye trade. As far as your first question goes, however, a Shinigami can be made from the remains of animals, but there must also be sufficient human in the contents. Usually, when Shinigami are born, it comes from a completely unique pool of genes. In taxonomical terms, the Shinigami will comprise several animals from different phylum groups."

Ryuk had no idea what she had just said, so smiled and nodded, allowing her to carry on.

"It's not yet clear how, but newborn Shingami get their Shinigami traits from the one who created them. This includes their gender, it seems. Although, the sex organs of their body may also be relevant…I'm not willing to take the chance however. The gender differences between Shingiami are fairly ill-defined as it is."

_You've got that right, Nu._

Ryuk asked another question. "Alright, then…but what's the point in Shinigami even having a gender? And…" this part really didn't seem to make sense. "How are female Shinigami created? If the Shinigami _King_ was the first Shinigami-"

"That's very presumptuous." Nu responded drily.

Ryuk paused. "So you're saying he isn't the first Shinigami?"

"I don't know. It doesn't matter, in any case. Let's just get this done, first." Nu gestured to the skeleton and directed Ryuk to put his hand over its head.

Ryuk did so, though he felt rather odd, considering what Nu had just implied. This thought vanished from his mind for the time being, however, as he felt an unusual sensation running through his fingers. The feeling was cold, and his hand suddenly felt almost weightless, though he had not de-materialized it. After a few seconds, the feeling disappeared, but Ryuk could instinctively tell that he had just been drained of life. The skeleton did not immediately appear to have been affected; remaining as dead as it had been, but slowly, Ryuk and Nu could see movement.

The movement was internal, so the skeleton itself didn't seem to be having any control over its actions, but nonetheless it was the weirdest thing Ryuk had ever seen. All around the bones, small strips of string-like substance seemed to appear from nowhere, wrapping themselves around the skeleton, again and again. They crawled out of the eye sockets and from around the ribs to the feet and beyond; flesh and cartilage gradually beginning to take shape. Because it all appeared to be growing from nothing, Ryuk was quite frightened, and backed away. Even Nu looked distinctly uncomfortable, her fingers tapping the floor in an anxious manner.

Now, Ryuk could see muscles forming, and also what appeared to be veins and arteries, which were quickly covered over by protective tissue. What was particularly scary, though, was the way in which the eyes, two white, milky spheres grew in the sockets, supported by the contracting muscle around at the brows. The eyes…looked dead. There were no pupils of any kind, and they just stared out at Ryuk, who was unaware whether or not they were watching him. Also, the overall creature did not appear to have anything unique about it; in fact, all that seemed to have happened was that it had been progressed to a half rotten state. The entire growth process looked as though it had completely ceased.

"Well, this is very exciting," observed Nu, "I think it's time we moved onto the next one, Ryuk."

"But Nu, this can't be right. It's just…."

"It's incomplete," Nu snapped, "I mentioned not too long ago that the process would take at least a week in total. Its kinetic energy supply has been completely exhausted for now." She moved over to another skeleton. "This is the one which will be based upon Kiyomi Takada. I'll leave you to complete the transfer of the others."

Ryuk looked over at the pitiful half-alive creature, then proceeded to vitalise the others, all the time fretting about getting to a viewing sphere and topping up his lifespan. Nu was waiting for him as he completed his task.

"Now, Ryuk. We're going to leave now, and I want you not to mention any of this. I'll summon you when they are ready. Oh…and make sure to kill a lot of humans, but do the killing discreetly."

Ryuk nodded and followed her back up the steps and into the mountain.


	7. A Scary World

**Author's note: The story is about to veer dangerously into Fullmetal Alchemist territory, but don't worry, it's still going to retain its Death Note-ness. If you watch/read FMA, you'll clearly see why, but if not, it won't make much of a difference to your view of the story…hopefully.**

* * *

He was awake. At that moment in time, the young blond man knew- though he couldn't have said how- that he had spent a long time in a state of unconsciousness, and this world was entirely new to him. There was no real light here, yet he could see…things. Tall blocks and archways. Pictures on the ground. Above his head, there was nothing but deep, grey clouds, swirling and swirling. What was this? It was strange, he felt as though he knew so much already, yet he couldn't remember any of it. He wasn't ignorant of anything around him, but he knew that he had never set foot in this place in his life.

_Hmm, what happens when I do this?_

The newborn shinigami kicked out with his leg, scraping the floor with his left foot. A red patch appeared near his toe, and a fluid leaked out. Almost instantaneously, the redness vanished, and his foot returned to exactly how it had been. How had that happened? For the briefest of moments he was confused, but then he understood.

_Shinigami like me don't get hurt…_

He then became aware of movement behind him. He twisted, but found that he was bound to something, and could not move. Chains were wrapped around his waist, ankles and hands, yet after wriggling, his arm simply phased through, completely free. He understood, and cleared his mind. As he had anticipated, as he moved forward, the chains binding to him slid through, as though they were nothing. Walking was a strange sensation at first, his muscles having never before been exercised,but snapping his tendons seemed to do the trick, and he felt fine.

He turned to face the centre of the circular area in which he was standing, slightly awestruck by how ancient everything seemed to be. There was no colour in sight other than ones which had faded after years and years. As he looked up, all he could see was grew, swirling skies, but it made him feel quite afraid. What his eyes were resting upon now, however, were the figures before him, each one chained to a pillar. They all appeared to be sleeping, albeit with their eyes open. Although, one had made a sound which had disturbed him, and this was the one next to him, blinking awkwardly.

By looking at this shinigami, he could tell that it was female, and beautiful. She- like himself- was completely naked, and her face was a blank, but resilient mask and black hair flowed from the crown of her head. She was shorter than he, as was her hair. Stirring, and making involuntary movements, she came to her senses. As she did, the male shinigami looked around at the others. They all remained asleep, so he focused his attention on this woman, who awoke groggily.

Instantly she was alive. For the briefest of seconds, her eyes- so dead only seconds ago- shone brightly, and blazed with a certain intensity and fear and intensity, which startled her blond observer, whom she was looking at. Then this expression was gone, replaced with a look of bewilderment. Then, she spoke.

"Who are you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow before proceeding to take a look at her surroundings. She looked apprehensive, but not particularly surprised. Tied to a pillar, she tried to wriggle free, but couldn't immediately do it.

"You just have to relax, and you'll walk right through them." The shinigami was aware that he was hearing his own voice for the very first time. The female looked over at him sceptically, then shrugged and closed her eyes, doing exactly what he had told her. She phased through the chains, but remained standing in the same position, not approaching the male. They locked eyes, but she seemed unwilling to do anything provocative, and dropped her gaze.

"Who are you?" she repeated, "and how did you get here? How did _I _get here?"

He narrowed his eyes in response. "I'm afraid we cannot help one another. I know nothing about this place, or how I got here. If I have a name, I can't remember it. It seems as though you don't either. I haven't been here long."

His companion looked up again, and appeared to relax slightly, though looked displeased. "I thought perhaps you were the one who brought me here."

"No." He shook his head. As he did so, he noticed something from out of the corner of his eye. To his left, a series of steps descended into the ground at the edge of the arena. The bottom was shrouded in mist, so they were hard to make out. The female shinigami turned too, to see what it was that had caught his attention. It was not the steps themselves, but both shinigami could distinctly make out two figures in the mist, moving down and closer towards them, though from where they stood, only their silhouettes were visible. Both were differently shaped, however, and as they came into view, they couldn't have looked more different.

One was an extremely tall male, thin and black all over, with a white face and feathers at his shoulders. His limbs were disproportionately long and lanky, but he appeared to have a shape similar to the two shinigami who awaited him. In addition, he wore various accessories, such as a bracelet, belt and earrings.

The other was truly weird. Appearance-wise, she was much less complex than the male; seeming to be a giant grey rock with eyes covering her body. The eyes were very similar to those of the male's, however.

"They're alive!" The male shinigami shrieked in a gravelly voice. "They're- they're…they look exactly like they used to! Can they talk?"

"Yes," answered the two humanlike shinigami simultaneously, wondering what he had meant by 'used to'. The blond male was bursting with questions, but the black shinigami didn't give him a chance to ask any.

"Nu!" he addressed his companion, the rock-shaped shinigami. "Are they all awake? What are you going to do now? This is all such fun!" Without warning, he sprung forward, and great feathered wings sprouted from his shoulders as he leapt forward. To the surprise of Nu, he did not bound over to the two fully-awake creatures standing staring at her, but rather towards the still-sleeping character on the other side of the arena. Neither of the newly awoken shingiami had paid much attention to him, and neither of them knew it themselves, but he bore an uncanny resemblance to-

"Light! Can you hear me?" he crouched over him, hands on hips, animated with excitement. However, 'Light' did not make any noticeable movements. When the black shinigami began to actually prod his body, this was the point when Nu stepped in.

"Leave him alone, Ryuk; he will wake up when he is ready." Her voice was calm, but also commanding. Ryuk, as he appeared to be named, backed away, shrugging. Then his face- which was perpetually grinning- seemed to break out into a genuine expression of glee when he fixed his attention upon the two who were observing him. It was quite intimidating, and Ryuk walked over to them.

"Can I talk to them?" he asked his companion. Apparently, he was under her control. Nu nodded, and then slid over to the other naked, chained-up creatures she had created, in order to get a closer look at them.

The dark haired female spoke quickly, hoping to catch Ryuk before he launched into another babbling sequence. "What is this place? Could you explain it to us, please…?" she gestured towards the blond guy.

Ryuk's eyes widened and he checked to make sure that Nu was not within earshot. She had already said that he could talk to them, and of course she could see that he was doing so, but she hadn't specified how much information he could tell them.

_Oh well, _he thought_, the simple facts can't possibly hurt._

"What do you remember?" he asked. If either of them had memories of 'their' previous lives, then he could probably tell them everything he knew…if not, he'd have to keep them in the dark about much of it.

The blond shinigami shook his head. "I don't _remember _anything. But…I know how to speak to you; I have a vocabulary and all the rest of it. But apart from what I'm seeing now…I don't think I have a memory. Everything is black as far as I can go." Ryuk looked upon him disappointedly, which it had to be said, could easily be mistaken for pity. It gave both newborns a bit more comfort when speaking to him, and after the female told Ryuk that she was in exactly the same situation as the male with regard to memories, the male continued. "Are you our…creator?"

Ryuk nodded. "Yeah. Well, sort of. I'm partly _your _creator," he looked pointedly at the male, before turning to the female, "but Nu is completely responsible for _you._"

The female looked quizzical. "So…what about the rest of them?" She was of course referring to the other humanoids, who had not yet woken up, "are they the same as us?"

"Yeah, hopefully they'll wake up soon. You've all just been born, that's why you have no memories. Don't worry about it; you're in safe hands." This felt like a slight overstatement, even to Ryuk. "But…" he called over to Nu, who he had just noticed was tending to a dark-haired young man, another of the shinigami waking up. Instead of proceeding with his question, Ryuk walked over to her as she beckoned to him, the other two following intently.

When Ryuk approached, he immediately recognised the third new Shinigami to be L Lawliet, or what he had become, anyway. In this state, he looked rather different than the human L that Ryuk had known. He was standing up, for starters, and his back wasn't hunched in the way that Ryuk was used to seeing it. Plus, apart from being naked, the bags underneath his eyes weren't present. He was stirring, most certainly, which seemed somehow inappropriate. Ryuk could remember Light once mentioning to him that L didn't seem to sleep at all. Then, Ryuk was struck with a sudden thought.

"Hey Nu, I don't remember L ever using a-"

"Be quiet!" Nu hissed, and drew her arm around Ryuk's back, as if to emphasise that this was now a private conversation. In a whisper, she continued, "I do not recall saying to you that you could mention _anything _about the Death Note to these shinigami, or anything else relating to the humans upon whom they are based. I have no intention of letting them know, not yet at any rate."

Ryuk nodded. "I understand that, but-"

"I will discuss 'L' with you later." She then turned to the male and female shinigami, who were looking slightly frustrated.

"Excuse me, Nu," the female addressed her with an awkward bowing motion- _typical "refined" Takada, _thought Ryuk with a smirk-, "but, could you please explain to us…who we are? I know you as Nu, and your companion as Ryuk, but I don't seem to be able to recall any name of my own."

Nu gazed upon her, probably admiring the respectful bow. "You have no name. However, it only makes sense that you should have one, if only simply of identification purposes." She regarded the two shinigami thoughtfully. "You," she pointed at the blond one, "will be known forevermore as 'Larycorthus'. It is-"

"Hey!" Ryuk interrupted, "I have…a suggestion."

If Nu was surprised, she didn't show it. "Excuse me" she said, as she and Ryuk moved a few metres away. 'Larycorthus' and the as yet unnamed female kept their distance, instead watching as the black-haited shinigami began to open his eyes. It seemed as though Ryuk or Nu should be informed of this development, but it was clear that they were busy having some kind of dispute. Besides, Nu literally had eyes in the back of her head, so she was probably watching it right now.

It didn't feel like witnessing the miracle of creation, as the awakening creature, filthy and groaning, started to speak.

"He-hello?" he stammered, looking at his two fellow newborns in a confused and frightened manner. "Where-where am I?" His eyes- which were almost black in colour, although unlike those of the female shinigami, they did not seem to be quite 'normal'- darted from each person to the other.

"We don't know any more that you do," the female said quietly, "but those shinigami over there are our creators, apparently."

Still bound to his chains, he narrowed his eyes and stared straight at Ryuk, who was busy giggling, bent double and waving his hands. "He's the one who gave me life?" He looked somewhat sceptical. His gaze had caught Nu's attention, and she glided over.

"Welcome, young one," she said in a totally flat voice, devoid of any emotion. "My assistant and I have been awaiting your arrival for some time now." Apparently, Nu didn't realise that this greeting may be construed as slightly hurtful by the other shinigami, whom she had largely ignored.

"Who are you?" the L-like shinigami asked warily, "are you my…mother?"

Everyone who heard this was taken aback. Shinigami didn't have _mothers._ What was he thinking? Ryuk couldn't help but snigger at the thought of Nu being seen as maternal. But wait- if Nu was a mother, what did that make him?

"No, I am not your mother," Nu replied sharply, "we don't have parents. Just address me as Nu. Meanwhile…" she stopped hear dramatically, as the shinigami's wide eyes looked up at her, "we- Ryuk and I- have been discussing _your_ name. All of your names, in fact. I was initially sceptical,but now…yes, I think they all suit you."

Ryuk couldn't help but feel pleased with himself.

"Gluttony," she pointed at the black-haired, chained male, "Greed," her finger found the female, "and you will no longer be 'Larycorthus'", she turned to the blond male. "As of this moment, your new name will be 'Envy'. Unconventional names, I confess…but I like them. Nice work, Ryuk."

_Envy...that sounded much better, _Envy silently agreed. He looked to his left, at the newly-named Greed. In all honesty, she looked less than thrilled, and may well have preferred something else.

The five of them remained in silence, as Gluttony found his way out through his chains. Then Nu, Ryuk, Envy, Greed and Gluttony stood for a considerable length of time, no doubt waiting for the birth of Pride, Lust, Wrath and Sloth.


End file.
